Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Joy and sorrow are opposite emotional experiences that probably all of us know throughout our lifetime. Life is like a tapestry of bright and dark colours and often the bright parts shine the brighter when set against a dark background.

I am reminded of Benjamin Malachi Franklin’s poem ‘Just a Weaver’,

(1) My life is but a weaving, between my God and me,

I do not choose the colors, He worketh steadily.

(2) Ofttimes he weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride

Forget He sees the upper, and I the underside.

(3) Not till the loom is silent, and the shuttles cease to fly,

Will God unroll the canvas, and explain the reasons why

(4) The dark threads are as needful in the skillful weaver's hand

As threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.

The recent mining accidents in Chile and New Zealand illustrate both extremes. For the families of the thirty-three miners rescued from their mine in Chile, it was a time of great joy, but for the thirty-three families of the Pike River, New Zealand South Island miners, only two could rejoice and twenty nine were plunged into the sorrow of grief. Further explosions ripped through the mine causing the authorities to pronounce the twenty- nine miners dead and the Prime Minister to say “We are a nation in mourning.”

A video of an interview with one of the survivors revealed that he had been thrown off his machine by the blast and knocked unconscious, the other survivor picked him up and they went 300 metres to the entrance of the mine and staggered out, battered but alive.

The circumstances at each mine were different, geologically, physically and possibly spiritually. The Chile men were gold mining, the New Zealanders were coal mining with the greater danger of methane exploding from leaks in the fault line hundreds of feet below the coal seem. It was not exploding gas that endangered the miners in Chile; it was a huge rock fall that trapped them for over two months. Jose Henriquez, trapped with his colleagues is an evangelical preacher and kept their spirits up by reading the Bible every morning to them. Every man had a small bible sent down the borehole for them to read and many of them committed their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ. Above ground the Presidents Pastor held prayer times with the President and the nation prayed for the recovery of the men. What joy it was when all of them were brought up one by one in a 27-inch capsule inside a new borehole that went down to the chamber where they were trapped. Many of the men wore T-shirts expressing that Jesus Christ is Lord.

We rejoice with those that rejoice, we weep with those that weep, and therefore feel and pray for the Pike River miner’s families.

As one travels five miles south from Jerusalem on the Hebron Road, there is a left hand fork that takes you down to Bethlehem. At that fork in the road is Rachel’s tomb, the place where Jacob’s wife died in child bearing and was buried. “And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.” Benoni means ‘Son of my sorrow’ whereas Benjamin means, ‘Son of the right hand’. Both names are an apt description of the Son of God who became the man of sorrows and acquainted with grief at Calvary, but then became the Son of the right hand when exalted in Heaven. Looking from that tomb the short distance to Bethlehem one can see the beyond the city the Shepherds fields and beyond them the mountains of Moab.

Ruth traveled with Naomi from Moab and came to those fields that belonged to Boaz. He became Ruth’s redeemer and married her and they had a son named Obed, the grandfather of King David. Ruth is one of four women named is in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew ch.1. Mary is the fifth!

When Mary and Joseph were required by Caesar Augustus’s edict to go to Bethlehem, they could have gone to a Bethlehem which was only five miles west of Nazareth, but that was the wrong Bethlehem, it was the city of David in Judah that they had to go to. Micah 5:2 reads, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

They left Nazareth and made the arduous 70 to 80 mile journey to Bethlehem. Did they travel down the valley of Jezreel or the Jordan valley? We do not know but either way would have been exhausting, especially for Mary, heavy with child. Passing Jerusalem they would arrive at the fork where Rachel’s tomb is. What thoughts would pass through Mary’s mind when she recalled Rachel’s death delivering her baby? Mary had been told concerning the baby she would deliver, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

Regarding the joy of the birth of Christ the shepherds in the fields heard “The angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” When the wise men were seeking the place where Jesus was born, Matthew 2:10 says, “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.” When they saw the babe they worshipped Him.

It was joy for them but sorrow for the mothers that had their children murdered by Herod, “In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.” Mary’s sorrow came later at Calvary when she saw Jesus crucified but “Joy cometh in the morning” and on the first day of the week Christ arose from the dead and is alive today, able to save to the uttermost all that come to Him. You too!

Praying that you have much joy this Christmas and the coming year and that sorrows stay away from your door. God bless.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

I wonder if you have ever thought about how popular Jesus was in his day. The impression we get at times is that he was loved by everyone right up until his rejection by the Jewish authorities, his prosecution by the Roman authorities and his ultimate death of crucifixion.

From the early days of his time on earth the Lord Jesus was excluded and rejected. There is quite a considerable period (from age 12-30) where we have very little information about the behaviour and activities of the Lord Jesus but we do have the commentary of God, the Father, when he publicly spoke from heaven (which was a very unusual thing to do) and said the he was delighted with His Son. This indicated that though there is scant information about these eighteen years there is nothing in that period (or any other period for that matter) that displeased His Father, God.

Let me discuss with you his exclusions - some specific examples relate to Bethlehem, Nazareth, Gadara and Jerusalem.

Bethlehem - even before the Lord Jesus was born he was excluded. Mary and Joseph had travelled ninety miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The scriptures record that Mary's pregnancy came to full term, she brought forth her firstborn son, she wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger.....because their was no room for them in the inn. Why - no room? Was it just too busy? Was it something about Mary and her pregnant condition? We are not told but we know that there was no room. Excluded!

Nazareth - you should read story for yourself; this is found in Luke 4.16-30. Jesus returns to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. To live all of your life in one place is getting more unusual in the modern world but it was very normal for many years. They would have known Jesus well in Nazareth. I sometimes wonder if they had many unanswered questions about him for he was unique and special in so many ways. He had always gone to the Synagogue and so going on this particular Sabbath day was not unusual. He rises to read, his reading grips the attention of the congregation and they sit spellbound hanging on to his every word. What we know now is that this was the author giving a reading of his book at a private sitting, no wonder they listened so well. When the reading is completed he makes a statement 'today is this scripture fulfilled in your ears'. What is he saying? He is claiming that the bible was written about him and that he is fulfilling it before their eyes. They can't get their heads round it. Is not this Joseph's son we hear them reply. I will not recount the rest of the incident but the end of the story is this. The people are angry with Jesus, they rise as one man and expel him from Nazareth with the intention of either killing him or physically hurting him. Excluded!

Gadara - The rejection and exclusion of the Lord Jesus this time is not because of what he claimed but because of what he did. Read about in Mark 5. The Lord arrives in the region of Gadara. He meets a man who can only be described as out of his mind. He is demon possessed, naked, lives in a graveyard, excluded from society and a danger to his community. To keep the story short - he is healed by the Lord Jesus. When the people from the local town come out to see what is going on they find the previously wild man - sitting, clothed and in His right mind. You would think that they would love the Lord Jesus. They can sleep easy again, things can get back to normal...but. They discover that 2000 pigs had been destroyed in the process of healing the man. They had lost money over this man's healing and they were not happy so they beg the Lord Jesus to leave their region. Excluded!

Jerusalem - It was in this city where he should have been enthroned as King of Israel that he was finally rejected. The current leadership deemed him a threat to their power and position and they could not risk the consequences of ignoring him. If you read John 11.50 they make it sound quite a prudent move when they state that 'one man should die for the people...that the whole nation perish not'. This statement was truer than they ever imagined. The Lord Jesus would not only die to save a nation but to save a world of men and women in need of his rescue plan of salvation. The plans of the rulers all came together when the general public were persuaded to reject the Lord Jesus and demand his execution (John.19.15). He was condemned to the death of the cross. Excluded!

So how about you and I? Will we continue to exclude Him. If we do he will be forced to exclude us on the day of judgement (Matt.25.41) and consign us to eternal punishment for not only breaking God's law but refusing his great salvation (Heb.2.3). When he comes in judgement on the world there will be no place to hide, no room for us (Rev.6.14-17).

The good news is He still saves those who call out for salvation (Romans.10.13). An acknowledgement of our sin and resting on the Lord Jesus for salvation is all that is required for you to know the blessing of God's forgiveness and salvation.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Think about today. Your health, your family, your clothes...basically everything. Who makes sure that life is the way it is. Me you say! Really! The sun in the sky, the cycle of life. you manage all that? I don't think so.

The psalmist in the Bible says. 'Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation, Selah'. (Psalm 68.19)

Selah means - stop, take a breath, think about it. Why not take a minute to think it through. You might even face reality and realise you need your creator to be your saviour. I pray that you will.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Once again we have become aware of another mining disaster. After the Chilean trapped miners were released we all breathed a sigh of relief. Thirty three men successfully brought to safety!What a glorious day it was for all involved and how we as fellow human beings were relieved to see a potentially sad story become a happy one. We trust that this will be the case for the twenty nine miners trapped in the Pike River Coal Mine in Atarau, New Zealand.

It is the desire of our creator, the Almighty God, that the sad story of human life and death be turned into a happy one. The miners in Chile soon learned the need for God and His presence when confined under ground. Among the scarce necessities that were delivered to them while in isolation was a personal copy of the bible. When faced with death, God and His truth is the only answer.

As I close listen to the truth that God brings to us in His word.

God commends his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.

God is not willing that any should perish (as in eternal damnation) but that all should come to repentance (a change of mind regarding sin and God accepting his offer of forgiveness).

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Thursday, November 04, 2010

Today's blog comes to you from Stan Burditt in Orlando, Florida, where he is enjoying a sunshine holiday with some of his family.

Driving past Disney’s Theme Park entrance a few days ago, I saw alongside the models of Mickey and Minnie Mouse their slogan, ‘Where dreams come true’ and it got me thinking! Obviously the statement carries a double meaning, firstly it is a location where lots of children dream of going to see all the Disney characters and interact with them. For many children throughout the world that dream is never realised but for those that are able to visit, the WOW look on their faces is a joy to behold. However if we live in a world of fantasy of our own make-believe, a world of fluffy cuddly people, we are not seeing the truth of the real world, it is just an escape.

Mickey himself has a ‘fantasmic’ dream where all his animated and wonder world friends appear in imagination bubbles but then the dream becomes a nightmare of evil characters threatening his comfort zone. Then good prevails and ultimately all the good characters appear on a sail-by showboat leaving the audience with a feel-good finale. It is only make-believe isn’t it?

Some young girls dream of their Prince Charming to come along and marry them. Young men might dream of a good qualification that will secure a well paid job, a nice comfortable home, a lovely wife and children and maybe a particular car in the garage. Sometimes those dreams do come true, but in the real world responsibility and commitment are fundamental requirements for a ‘happy-ever-after’ life, and in this generation, fewer and fewer are subscribing to these.

If what has been reported in UK national newspapers is true then the ‘Theatre of Dreams’, Old Trafford football stadium has had nightmarish features since one of their players has been doing a bit of showboating himself, causing the manager selection problems. Who would know what decided the contractual turn around? Could it have been money??

Martin Luther King in his memorable speech ‘I have a dream!’ was pioneering a program of civil rights for the black population of the United States. He dreamed of a day when there would be equality for all people black and white, where social, education, medical and employment rights exist for everyone and not the privileged few. For him was it just a dream or was he a visionary? Looking for a better future for those oppressed by bigotry and racism.

There are eleven people recorded in the Old Testament and two in the NT that have dreams. In the NT the word dream occurs seven times, six in Matthew’s gospel and once in the Acts. In Matthew, four concern Joseph the husband of Mary, one, the wise men and the other is Pilate’s wife. With Joseph it is in relation to the birth of Christ, with Pilate’s wife it was His death.

Joseph in the Old Testament and Joseph in the New saw their dreams come true. Both Joseph’s had a father named Jacob, but it was Abraham’s grandson Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel who was the father of Joseph. This Joseph had two dreams. He interpreted the two dreams of Pharaoh, and his Butler and Baker. Genesis 37:6 reads, “Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.” Because of these dreams his brothers hated him and said, “Behold, this dreamer cometh” and wanted to kill him, but then they sold him as a slave into Egypt.

It became a nightmare for him in Potiphar’s house; he was wrongly accused of rape and put into prison. While in prison he interpreted the dreams of the Butler and the Baker, both dreams came true, one was restored, the other hanged.

Pharaoh had two dreams, which Joseph interpreted as being seven years of plenty and seven years of famine, which also became true. Pharaoh rewarded Joseph by putting him in charge of storing the corn in the plentiful years and administrating the distribution of the food during the years of famine. He made him second in command in all the land, it was then that his brothers came to Egypt seeking corn and bowed before Joseph. Joseph’s name means ‘adding’ and he was responsible for adding prosperity for his own people and the Egyptians.Pharaoh called him ‘The Saviour of the world’.

Joseph, the husband of Mary had a dream, assuring him that Mary had not committed fornication but was the chosen virgin to bring Jesus Christ into the world, “Behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost” His second dream was a warning that Herod was seeking to destroy the baby and he was told to take Mary and Jesus into Egypt. The third dream was in Egypt telling him that Herod was dead and that they could return to their own land. The final dream directed them back to Nazareth where Christ lived up to the age of thirty. All Joseph’s dreams came true and by them he was able to fulfill his responsibility in caring for his wife and his unique son.

Psalm 126 begins,“When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.”

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

No one likes to hear that the forecast is not good. Whether it is a business forecast, a weather forecast or a forecast of the outcome of treatment when faced with illness. It is news we do not want to hear.

Can I point to you to the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is recorded in Matthew.11.28 that He says to you 'Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest'. The scriptures explain that He (the Lord Jesus) came 'to preach the gospel to the poor' (more than financially poor), that he was sent to 'heal the broken hearted', to' preach deliverance to the captives', and 'recovering of sight to the blind' and to 'set at liberty them that are bruised'.

If you fit any of these categories the Lord Jesus came to help you. If you are spiritually poor, broken hearted, spiritually blind and bruised He can help you.

How is it possible. It's all because of His death on the cross. He suffered the just for the unjust to bring us to God. Will you admit your need, confess your sin, acknowledge His authority and come to Him. He alone can give rest. He conquered death and rose from the dead and those who trust Him alone pass from death to life.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

You might think that this is an irrelevant question or the most important question in the world. I happen to believe that it is the latter as your opinion of Jesus Christ will determine your eternal destiny. Why not listen to my new podcast at www.seekthetruth.org.uk to discover what convinces me that Jesus is the Son of God and to discover why it is such an important issue. Let me know what you think. Stephen

Thursday, September 23, 2010

The fact of evil in the world is a very disturbing thing and causes many people heartache and problems. It is quite right to question why evil exists, how things came to be the way they are and if there are any solutions to these big issues.

The Bible clearly teaches that God created good as well as evil. This is a puzzle to many and rightly so because we wonder how a God of holiness could create something called evil. As we read the Bible we discover this 'God is light and in him is no darkness at all'. We also discover that God is kind, compassionate, caring and loving. This is all summarised in the statement 'God is Love'. So there is no indication that God acts in an evil way despite the fact that at times we do not understand why he allows certain circumstances in our lives.

There are other very clear statements in the Bible which indicate that God expects people to obey his holy commandments and principles for their blessing and well being. But the Bible does state that God will judge all men according to his standard of righteousness on the day of judgement and our only hope of salvation is found in His Son, Jesus Christ.

We know that God created all things. He gave human beings the ability to think, act and choose certain courses of action. God established a principle in the universe of sowing and reaping. There are consequences to actions and outcomes to behaviours and the choices that we make. Bad choices end in bad outcomes and so evil is perpetuated as a result of wrong choices. To say that God wants us to make bad choices and reap evil consequences would not fit with what you read in the Bible. From the very beginning God told us what was good and what was bad. He told the first couple (Adam and Eve) that the day they disobeyed Him they would die. He warned them that breaking His law put them at a distance from him. And so it did. Since the day Adam sinned we live life without God. We hurt and suffer because of the existence of evil activity in our world. And if we end this life without seeking forgiveness and reconciliation to God we seal our fate and face eternal separation from God (bear in mind this includes all that God provides: love, joy peace, safety etc).

It can be so different. God sent his Son (Jesus) into the world not to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved. God has taken the initiative and in the death of His Son paid the debt of sin. He offers to all will take it the gift of eternal life.

The only condition is acceptance of our condition as guilty before God and acceptance of Jesus Christ as the exclusive means of salvation. If we turn from our sin and depend on Christ for salvation we will immediately come into the good of God's great offer of salvation.

Thursday, September 02, 2010

The plight of 33 Chilean miners has caught the attention of the media worldwide. The men were trapped 700mtrs below ground in the San Jose gold and copper mine in Copiapo, 450 miles north of Capitol Santiago after the main shaft collapsed blocking their escape out of the mine. One of the men named Urzua, 54, described the collapse, "It was frightening. We felt like the mountain was coming down on us, without knowing what happened. Thanks to God, we still hadn't gathered together to go out to have lunch. ... At 20 minutes before 2 (their usual lunch hour), the mountain came down on top of us." "For about four or five hours, we couldn't see a thing. After that we saw that we were trapped by an enormous rock that filled the entire passage of the tunnel." (Yahoo News)

Fortunately, there was a side chamber, an area of about 100 square metres that the men took refuge in and after seventeen days of despair in isolation an 8cm drill cut a borehole and penetrated the chamber. The miners tapped noises on the drill head and tied a message to it telling those on the surface that all 33 men were alive and safe in their refuge. Another similar hole has been bored alongside the original one to enable supplies of water, food, medication, and communication facilities to get to and from the men.

Although the mining company fears that it will go bankrupt and not be able to pay the cost of drilling a new 33 inch hole to effect an escape for the men, the Chilean Government has undertaken this £million-plus project and set it in motion. This bore hole will take about 120 days to complete, so the men will not be out of their predicament until Christmas, God willing. The nation of Chile has really grasped the situation with patriotic fervour of singing and flag waiving, the miners themselves singing the national anthem. A disaster of this magnitude unites people and activates them to help in whatever way they can. The miners families have set up a tented camp at the mine that they call Camp Hope and have pledged to stay there as long as it takes to get their loved ones out. A real sense of dependence upon the Lord for total rescue of the people trapped below, and by their families above ground, and the nation as a whole as it waits and watches and prays for a successful deliverance.

There are other hellish like experiences of lives being trapped. Some children are sold for prostitution in the Far East and Africa, and become slaves to their master’s evil practices. Some through their own folly get trapped in vices such as alcohol or illegal drugs, with no light at the end of the tunnel for them; of themselves they are helpless, unable to break out from the awful grip of addiction. Some either foolishly or through no fault of their own becomes trapped in a financial contract, perhaps involving property and spiralling debt occurs. A man or woman can find himself or herself trapped in a loveless marriage, and they need help to get them out of their pit of despair. I have met people who feel trapped in an occupation that they are not happy in and cannot see a way out, or change of career. In all these situations God is able to deliver and rescue that person, whatever!

When Israel were in slavery in Egypt God said to Moses in Exodus 6:5,“I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant. Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. God brought a series of plagues upon the Egyptians culminating with the death of their firstborn on Passover night when Israel fled Egypt. God saved them on the basis of the blood of the Passover lamb being applied to doorposts and lintel of their dwellings. However on their journey out of Egypt they came to the Red Sea, the sea before them and the Egyptian army pursuing, they were trapped. God in His power parted the Sea and about two million souls crossed over on dry land, the Egyptians following were drowned in the Sea. Redemption is by blood of the Lamb and the Power of God.

Jonah’s disobedience took him to unexpected depths where despair could have gripped his soul. Jonah 1:3 says, “But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD…..Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone downinto the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. In verse six of the next chapter Jonah related his continuous downfall, “I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.” From within the belly of the whale, in his hopeless and helpless situation Jonah discovered and cried, “Salvation is of the LORD.” (v.9) The rest is history; the whale altered its course, headed for land and vomited Jonah up onto dry land. Jonah’s name means ‘Dove’ and the dove is the symbol of peace. Isn’t that just what God does? When people put their faith in Him he delivers them from being trapped in whatever, and wherever they are He brings them into peace. Colossians 1:20 reads, “Having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled.” God bless.

Friday, August 27, 2010

I was just thinking and praying for the miners in Chile. What a predicament to be in! Or the poor folks in Pakistan; we wonder why we have problems and difficulties but it's nothing compared to what millions are facing today in that country.

Most of us will question why these things to happen? Some will conclude that if there is a God then he would stop bad things? Others might feel that evil exists because of the behaviour of humans. President Obama recently said that we are now in the age where natural disasters often exist as a result of human action and bad management of the planet.

What do you think I would be interested to hear? I will post what I feel the bible teaches about this in a couple of days.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Most people find going back to work a bit of a drag. Getting away on holiday seems to take an awesome amount of energy. By the time you have arranged where to go, washed, packed your cases, packed the car (you would think that I did all of this; I have a wonderful wife who does most of it but I do play my part!) and then travelled to your destination most of us are quite exhausted. The next part is actually getting relaxed enough to enjoy the break. Years ago I was told that busy people should take a three week break (the advice was from a health professional). One week to wind down and two weeks to relax. For most of us that would be great but then we have three weeks of e-mails to come back to or maybe not if we are naughty and are permanently tied to a blackberry or similar type of phone.

Suddenly its all over and we are back to the grindstone. The holiday is somewhere in the dim and distant past.

I am glad to be back as I have the most fantastic job in the world. My work is to tell people that there is a happy future. That they can have peace in their heart. That life is about more than what you acquire. The only downside of my job is I must warn of a Day of Judgement, of accountability for our words, beliefs and actions. That God cannot accept our sin.

BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS.....God's Son, Jesus came into the world to save us. He died to pay what we owe. Sins can be forgiven because of Jesus' death on the cross.

Why am I so sure?

No 1 - Jesus rose from the dead three days after he died. God accepted His sacrifice as payment in full for sin. As the Lord Jesus said himself - 'it is finished'. The debt was paid in full. No more to pay! You have to accept 'the free gift of God' which 'is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord'. You can accept it when you pray to God, confessing your need and your personal guilt and trust Him alone for salvation.

Royal Professor of Law at Harvard University, Dr Simon Greenleaf, was one of the greatest legal minds that ever lived. He believed the Resurrection of Jesus Christ was a hoax and he determined, once and for all, to expose the "myth" of the Resurrection. After thoroughly examining the evidence for the resurrection he wrote a book entitled, An Examination of the Testimony of the Four Evangelists by the Rules of Evidence Administered in the Courts of Justice. In which he emphatically stated …“It was impossible that the apostles could have persisted in affirming the truths they had narrated, had not Jesus Christ actually risen from the dead. According to the laws of legal evidence used in courts of law, there is more evidence for the historical fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ than for just about any other event in history”

No 2 - I have experienced the blessing of forgiveness and salvation myself.

No 3 - I have seen many others blessed and their lives changed. These people are from all walks of life - professionals, business people, drug addicts, criminals and lots of ordinary folk.

May God bless you and may you receive His Son as Lord and Saviour today.

Friday, August 20, 2010

I do not profess to be an authority or historian regarding the Kings and Queens of England or the growth of the UK Parliamentary system, or the government of the USA , or Canada. There is a common thread connecting each of those realms, inasmuch they have all had or do have a committee of Ways and Means as a legislative arm of government.

Thankful for information gleaned from UK and USA government websites I can set before you a potted version of events of how and for what purpose Ways and Means came into being and what one can gather from the Bible of its message on Ways and Means.

In 1066 William the Conqueror invaded England at Normans Bay near Hastings in Sussex and defeated King Harold. He subjected the realm to a new form of government by dividing the land into areas that his nobles controlled. Further changes came when King John in 1215 signed the Magna Carta introducing new liberties accepting that no freeman could be punished except through the law of the land, a right which is still in existence today, and that the King himself was subject to law.

Magna Carta influenced later institutional documents such as the United States Constitution. So a Parliamentary system was developing, tweaked here and there along the way until the reign of Charles 1st. Charles was not popular because of his close connection with the Church of Rome and raising taxes for himself and the Church. In 1628 Parliament pressured the King to sign a Petition of Right, which denied the King to raise taxes without the consent of Parliament. The following year he dissolved Parliament and began an eleven-year autocratic rule known as ‘The Eleven Years of Tyranny’, in which Puritans were persecuted. They were imprisoned, whipped, ears cut off, noses slit, cheeks branded with a red-hot iron (‘Oliver Cromwell: Freedoms Friend or Foe’ Peter Richards). This led to a civil war between the Roundheads led by Oliver Cromwell and the Cavaliers being the Kings army. Charles lost and was executed in 1649. Cromwell abolished the Monarchy and established a Republic called the Commonwealth of England, which lasted about ten years and reverted to Monarchy in 1660 with Charles the second returning from exile in France to reign.

Wikipedia says, The Committee of Ways and Means, in effect between 1641 and 1967, was the body responsible for proposing changes in taxation to Government. Any Minister could make proposals to the committee. The Chairman of Ways and Means, which was an appointed role, presided over the Committee.

The Committee of Ways and Means was abolished in 1967 and the responsibility for all fiscal matters, including taxation, now rests with the Chancellor of the Exchequer. However, the position of Chairman of Ways and Means still exists since the Chairman may take the place of the Speaker in that individual's absence. Traditionally, the title of Chairman of Ways and Means is conferred on the Deputy Speaker of the House. It is an appointed position resulting from a motion tabled at the beginning of each Parliament by the Leader of the House. The Chairman of Ways and Means has two deputies: the 1st and 2nd Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means. Thus there are three Deputy Speakers who may take the place of the Speaker.

The USA still has a Ways and Means committee that determines how and for what purpose revenue is raised. I have sought to set out some historical facts relating to human government in the matter of raising taxes, whether for King or Country, some of which were despotic and cruel. Space forbids me to comment upon the future despot named ‘The Beast’ who will have total control of the world’s finances, to the point that no person will be able to buy or sell without his mark on their person.

God has His ways and means that differ greatly from man’s ways. Isaiah 55:8 reads, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Men place money as their greatest need whereas God says that salvation from the penalty of sin is their greatest need and He has provided ways and means for this to take place. Sometimes He uses Creation to speak to people to make them aware that the Eternal God of Heaven and Earth exists and that we are accountable to Him. Other occasions He speaks directly through His Word, the Bible, and folk discover how to be saved. The Holy Spirit works in the World convicting men and women about their sin and brings them to Christ. All these ways lead to one way, the only way of salvation, which is Jesus Christ. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”.

The means that God uses to reconcile sinners back to Himself is by the sacrifice of His own Son on the cross, Romans 8:32 says, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” If we come God’s way, through Christ, and believe that His death is sufficient to deal with all the guilt of our lives then at that moment we belong to a new realm, we become the children of God and enter the Kingdom of God.

God’s ways and means are impeccable; they bring sinners who are far off from Him into a close, personal and eternal relationship with Himself. Never to be succeeded, or need to be changed, because they are perfect.

2Sam.14:14 says, “For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.” God bless.

Friday, July 30, 2010

The month of July has been a very enjoyable yet busy month for me. I started the month by heading up to Scotland by train to speak at a Christian Youth Camp that is arranged every year by people in Ayrshire. The camp was based in Faskally House in Pitlochry. It was great to be with a crowd of enthusiastic people who were keen to have a good time and yet willing to devote some of their holidays to thinking about the big issues of life, the existence of evil, death etc. It is a great thrill to be able to share with people the message of hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. His death is sufficient to provide salvation to all who confess their need and come to him for ‘rest’. I was then back home in Liverpool for a week. After that it was back to the same place this time for the Tayside Christian Youth Camp – more of the same. I am currently ending the month with the Anchor Christian Camp. This is made up of people from Barrow, Jarrow and Workington and the venue is Quinta in Shropshire. Don’t ask how Jarrow, Barrow and Workington got together but it is good to be with them. I hope that you have a good summer and come to know God’s richest blessing in your life ‘through faith in Christ Jesus’.

Friday, July 16, 2010

We have had a lot of abuse this week for preaching on the streets of Liverpool. I must be honest I find it quite strange that people get so excited about something that they say they do not believe in. If God is a figment of my imagination and the message is a relic founded in superstition then why not let the fools who preach get on with it. Harmless nutters at the best, time wasters at the worst.

I would love someone to tell what it basically wrong with Christianity? Ok it defines wrong and upholds a moral framework. It states that there is a moral law and a therefore a lawgiver. It defines life as having meaning and maintains that there is an existence after death. In this life it states that goodness, kindness, pureness, honesty, truth, care, courage, accountability, law abiding activity be the practice in an individual's life. In addition it admits that we are flawed and provides a redeemer/Saviour who accounts for our wrong and takes on the debt offering forgiveness and freedom to all who choose to admit their need and accept the offer.

I can't think of a better type of life and a more comprehensive offer anywhere else.

Maybe the problem is the honesty of the message strikes a cord with the reality of our lives. What do you think, write and let me know.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

I am just reaching the last night of a two week series of events that I have been involved in to spread the message of Christianity on the Wirral, Merseyside. We have been looking at a different topic each night and considering what God says in the Bible about some of the deep and big questions we ask such as:

How do you know there is a God?

What does God expect of people?

What happens when we die?

Why did God have to sacrifice Jesus His Son?

Why trust the Bible?

Why do innocent people suffer?

When things go wrong is God to blame?

What is a Christian?

What's important in your life?

All good and very honest questions which we would be wise to consider.

If you are reading this I would love to know what your views and beliefs are? I trust that you have discovered the Jesus is 'the way, the truth and the life' and that you are living in the good of your sins forgiven and 'peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ'

Saturday, June 05, 2010

I am sure that many of you are so happy that the exams are over and that you can now enjoy the summer and get on with your life. For some however this is just the beginning as they start a job or begin a new phase in their life. My daughter has just started a job in Manchester and is experiencing the thrill of getting up early to get the train and trying to go bed early to cope with the tiredness. Some say 'it's all part of the rich tapestry of life' others being more honest say it's just extremely exhausting.

I read an article in a paper we distribute in our community recently. It was about a young Naval Officer on his first day on the job after a considerable time of training. The prospect of guiding a ship across the Atlantic was very exciting. This was his first opportunity to prove to everyone that he had the ability to handle the ship efficiently. He confidently issued orders and the decks buzzed with men performing their tasks. The ship left it's moorings in record time and quickly cruised toward the open seas.

The young officer is handed a folded piece of paper. What is it he thinks? Was it perhaps a message of congratulations from the captain?

The note was a radio message that read. "You have completed the exercise according to the book and with amazing speed, in your haste, however you overlooked a vital though unwritten rule: "make sure the captain is aboard before getting underway." The note was signed, "your captain".

Like the young officer, many people study hard and prepare for life's journey with great intensity and a desire to do everything to the best of their ability. They often pull away from the "dock" without asking the Captain to come aboard in their lives. By failing to ask God to be in control they are destined for a life of always learning and never coming to the knowledge of the truth.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Anyone who does not see vast changes in the world must be walking round with their eyes closed. Air traffic stopped by volcanic ash, world economies struggling, coalition governments trying to grapple with massive issues, oil slicks that look like it will take generations to sort. Is this normal? Well we know it's not but things have never looked quite like this.

The Bible states that many dramatic and unbelievable things will happen in the world in the last days. A quick read of the book of Revelation describes events on earth that at one stage most people might have thought impossible - I am not so sure if people think that now.

The Bible predicts the coming again of the Lord Jesus to this planet but it also states that He will come to collect Christians before that coming (called the snatching away or the rapture). Today's blog is written to ask you simply - are you ready? Prepare to meet your God was the great warning of the Old Testament. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ is the answer found in the New Testament to save people and make them ready.

Friday, April 30, 2010

There are some words that can lay dormant in the dictionary and are seldom used, the word ‘bigot’ is one of them. Yet when the UK’s Prime Minister made an awful gaffe, by labelling Gillian Duffy a ‘bigoted woman’, with his lapel microphone still switched on for the media to hear, the word is immediately spoken or printed during the next twenty-four hours, in the majority of languages worldwide.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word, ‘A person who is prejudiced in their views and intolerant of the opinion of others’ George Bernard Shaw said, “There is nothing more dangerous than the conscience of a bigot.”

Mr. Brown’s words spoken in private but captured by the media for the world to hear became an embarrassment for him and he had to go back to Mrs. Duffy’s house to apologize to her for this insensitive blunder. Outside her house he confessed to the media pack that he was a penitent sinner. This said, he might find that his unjustified outburst against Gillian Duffy will come back to haunt him in future days.

The scripture says in Matt. 15:17, “Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man.” James said, “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!” To be in control of what we say whether in private or in public is good because if we lose control of the words we speak we might try to cover up afterwards and say words that are not true. How lovely it is to hear a person speak the truth and live what he or she says, life and lip in perfect harmony. This was seen absolutely in the life of Jesus Christ, He never needed to call a word back or apologize for anything He said, because He always spoke the truth.

Politicians of any party-colour can spin lies and make them sound like truth but ultimately truth will out and expose the lie.

Bigotry is dangerous because it can deteriorate into violence. no matter what sphere it manifests itself in, whether racial, political, religious or even sport. History has many examples; a prime one in recent times is Hitler’s bigotry against the Jews and the policy of extermination, allegedly responsible for the death of six million people through the gas chambers.

The same day that Mr. Brown made his howler; a taxi driver took my wife and myself from a hotel in St.Paul’s Bay, Malta, to the airport. It was morning and the derogatory remark by the PM had not yet been uttered, but his questions about the forthcoming elections in the UK were central to his thinking and his overall respect of politicians was low.

While staying at the Hotel I asked an Englishman who had lived on the island for a number of years, if St. Paul’s Bay was the actual location where the Apostle cane ashore after being shipwrecked (Acts 27 and 28) but he did not know and did not seem particularly interested till I quoted Paul’s words that “The barbarous people shewed us no little kindness” for he recognized that the people of Malta are still friendly and hospitable.

Saul of Tarsus who became the Apostle Paul is an example of a religious bigot. Before his conversion to Christ (Acts 9) he boasted of being a Pharisee of the Pharisees and could not stand the thought of Jews becoming Christians. He persecuted those who did convert, some to prison, some to death. His intolerance of Christians was absolute until Christ spoke to him on the road to Damascus, “Saul, Saul, why persecute thou me?” Christ was saying if you persecute them, you are persecuting me! What followed was dynamic, his life was changed, he became a Christian, he said, “Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Saul of Tarsus was a penitent sinner and was converted to Christ, and became committed to preaching the gospel of Christ to others. He wrote to Timothy, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” What a remarkable change, the blasphemer became the preacher, the persecutor became the persecuted, to the Romans he said, “I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

I thank God that even today there are people who are prepared to listen to the truth of God’s Word and abandon preconceived atheistic thoughts about evolution, or religious dogma and turn like Saul of Tarsus did, to a Saviour who died for them, rose again from the dead and now lives at the right hand of God, a living Saviour. Christ can be your Saviour too if you sincerely be that repentant sinner and call upon the Lord in prayer to save you. How lovely it would be if a bigoted woman or a bigoted man turned right now to Christ! God bless.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Truth...........from a man the media has never been able to throw dirt on.....amazing!

He has certainly hit the "world" on the head!

Billy Graham's Prayer for the United States of America

'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values..

We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice.We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics.We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free.Amen!'

Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, 'The Rest of the Story,' and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired.

The above noted words are salutary and could be applied to the United Kingdom as well as to the USA. May God help us to repent of our sins and seek the forgiveness of God. His grace is sufficient because we can still truthfully say 'Through this man (The Lord Jesus Christ) is preached the forgiveness of sins'

Thursday, April 15, 2010

In a recent interview Tiger Woods, reputed to be a billionaire golfer said, “I was living a lie, I really was.” He was referring to his marital misconduct involving adultery with several women. A transcript of his confession is in the public domain, which upon examination shows that he did not use the word adultery at all, but referred to cravings outside of himself.

Parts of the transcript follow. < Good morning, and thank you for joining me. Now every one of you has good reason to be critical of me. I want to say to each of you, simply and directly, I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior I engaged in…..For all that I have done, I am so sorry….I have a lot to atone for….. The issue involved here was my repeated irresponsible behavior. I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated. What I did is not acceptable, and I am the only person to blame.

I stopped living by the core values that I was taught to believe in. I knew my actions were wrong, but I convinced myself that normal rules didn't apply. I never thought about who I was hurting. Instead, I thought only about myself. I ran straight through the boundaries that a married couple should live by. I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and fame. I didn't have to go far to find them.

I was wrong. I was foolish. I don't get to play by different rules. The same boundaries that apply to everyone apply to me. I brought this shame on myself. I have a lot of work to do, and I intend to dedicate myself to doing it. Part of following this path for me is Buddhism, which my mother taught me at a young age. People probably don't realize it, but I was raised a Buddhist, and I actively practiced my faith from childhood until I drifted away from it in recent years. Buddhism teaches that a craving for things outside ourselves causes an unhappy and pointless search for security. It teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint. Obviously I lost track of what I was taught.

In therapy I've learned the importance of looking at my spiritual life and keeping in balance with my professional life. I need to regain my balance and be cantered so I can save the things that are most important to my marriage, my children and me.>

It is sad to see anyone fall into sin of any sort and for that sin to be arrayed in newspapers and on television programs throughout the world,. At this point we must remind ourselves that we are no different to him, we are all sinners, he broke the seventh commandment, “Thou shalt not commit adultery”, most of us would not get past the first one about loving God with all our heart and soul and strength. Jesus said to the people that wanted to stone the woman taken in adultery, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (John 8:7) Mr. Woods said that he has a lot to atone for.

As a preacher of the Gospel of Christ I have to tell him and any other person that none of us can atone for our sins, only Christ’s death on the cross can avail for guilty sinners and only His precious shed blood can atone for our sins. “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1John1:7)

Another notable character that lived a lie was Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples that had followed Christ for three and a half years, but it was not adultery that was his downfall, it was the tenth commandment, covetousness. Judas Iscariot had been given the responsibility of the apron with the scrip or bag that contained the money that had been given to the Lord and His followers for their support. It is John who tells us that Judas criticized Mary of Bethany when she anointed the Lord prior to His death. He said, “Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.”

John wrote his gospel possibly sixty years afterwards and though perhaps he did not know what Judas was up to at the time he certainly knew later, that some of the funds went missing and who the culprit was and so he says, ”He was a thief” Judas concealed his thieving from the others, but the Lord knew all about him. Whatever our sin is God can forgive us if we are repentant and call upon Him in faith for salvation.Judas is remembered most for his betrayal of Christ.

At this Easter season we recall the events that took place according to prophecy. Zechariah 9:9 says, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass” telling us of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem upon the colt the foal of an ass. In ch.11:12 of that prophecy he says, “And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD. This is the price that Judas sold the Saviour to the priests for, and what happened to that money when he threw it back into the Temple treasury, the Priests bought the Potters field with the money because it was not lawful for them to put ‘blood money’ into the treasury.

Remorse made Judas realize the intensity of his sin and he committed suicide. It is one thing to live a lie, but if one dies in their sin, nothing but perdition awaits them, as it did for Judas. If you die in your sin you can never go to be with Christ in Heaven, but like Judas you will be a son of perdition.

Whatever your sin, turn to Christ in repentance and trust the One who died for our sins, to save us and give us eternal life.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Good question? Here's another one. Is Christianity in principle wholesome? Clearly from reading the New Testament - Yes. Indeed very strongly yes.

But back to Christians. If I asked you what your mental picture of a Christian was I wonder what you would say? The bible teaches that Christians should be like their Saviour - the Lord Jesus Christ. That's a pretty tall order but in essence that's the biblical truth of following Christ. The purpose of God is to change Christians and make them like the Lord Jesus in thinking and in behaviour.

How is this possible you may be thinking! For this reason. God credits a believing person with righteousness because of the death and resurrection of Christ. That is he legally deals with our sin and guilt and as a result the Christian has an acceptable status in the sight of God. God also guarantees that on the day of redemption (when the Christian dies or the Lord Jesus returns to take the 'church' to heaven) that they will be made perfect not just in principle but in practice.

In the meantime God is working with believers every day (as much as the believers lets Him) to change them and mature them to be and behave like the Lord Jesus.

I am a believer and do not feel I do too well in this respect but I wouldn't change my place with anyone even a lottery winner. What about you? Are you saved or do you still face the prospect of God's judgement for sin. Don't let a bad example of Christianity put you off discovering the most life changing experience you could ever have.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

I hear all the current chat about whether children are aware of what they are doing or if they should be held responsible for their actions which has started again on the back of the Bulger case. I know that there will always be exceptions but surely we must start from the basic standpoint that we are all responsible for our actions. Children and their parents are or should be accountable for their actions. The failure to accept this belief is a reflection of the state of a society where there is rarely now an acknowledgement of right and wrong or of peoples responsibilites for their actions. The ability to do wrong is inbuilt in everyone of us. By one man, Adam, sin (evil) entered into the world. We teach and train people to do what is right, it does not come naturally. Part of the responsibilty for the actions of children must lie with parents and society. For the rest of us we remain responsible and answerable to God as well as to society. Ultimately our general guilty behaviour will catch up with us and condemn us before God. Please read some of the earlier blogs to see how God has made provision for us. We can be guilt free and saved by the grace of God. I pray that you will come to know the blessing of God's salvation.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Happenings in Haiti in the past few weeks have caused the nations of the world to respond to the calamitous devastation brought about by the 7magnitude earthquake. It is estimated that the death toll could be between 150,000 and 200,000. Probably most of them around 5pm on Tuesday 12th January were unexpectedly ushered into eternity at that time. Some people buried under collapsed buildings died later when 15 aftershocks, one as high as 5.9 shook the already demolished buildings, causing further collapse in the rubble and cutting off folk from being saved.The earthquake was not unexpected! Patrick Charles warned in 2008 that the fault line that runs west/east across Haiti could do immense damage to the island if the plates moved. They did move about six miles below the surface and the rest is history. One can ask the question, ‘What warnings were given to the population and what preparations were made for such a thing happening?’

We call to mind December 26th.2004 when a 9.1 to 9.3mag. earthquake hit the Indian Ocean causing the Tsunami to devastate the coastline villages of India, the east of Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia with massive loss of life. The 9.7 quake in Gujarat on 26th. January 2001, and the Great Hanshin 7.2 mag. one at Kobe on January 17th. 1995 also brought enormous destruction and casualties. At the time of the Kobe quake I wrote an article for View From The Pulpit and before publication I sent a copy to Dr. Wayne Richardson at the International Seismological Institute in Wiltshire for him to examine factually. I had heard him on a BBC program talking about earthquakes and I got his phone number and spoke to him. He told me that there is an earthquake every twelve seconds somewhere in the world, most of them are out in the oceans and only measure 2 or 3 mag. therefore little effect is felt by them. For example, I discovered on http://earthquake.usgs.gov/ that during the past week for California and Nevada there was 522 quakes recorded, the highest at 3.2 mag. The following information about earthquake magnitude might be totally unexpected for you to read in this column, but here we go. ‘Seismologists indicate the size of an earthquake in units of magnitude. There are many different ways that magnitude is measured from seismograms because each method only works over a limited range of magnitudes and with different types of seismometers. Some methods are based on body waves (which travel deep within the structure of the earth), some based on surface waves (which primarily travel along the uppermost layers of the earth), and some based on completely different methodologies. However, all of the methods are designed to agree well over the range of magnitudes where they are reliable. Earthquake magnitude is a logarithmic measure of earthquake size. In simple terms, this means that at the same distance from the earthquake, the shaking will be 10 times as large during a magnitude 5 earthquake as during a magnitude 4 earthquake. The total amount of energy released by the earthquake, however, goes up by a factor of 32.’ There are seventy tracking stations globally measuring seismic activity. What do I deduce from the above facts? I shall not be booking a holiday between late December and late January to anywhere that there is a geological fault line running along the beach! There are a number of fault lines running across the world, brought about by the earth’s convulsions in the days of Noah, but don’t worry about that, we read in 2Peter 3:13 “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” The question is will you be there? Think about that one!

There are two events that will shake this world shortly. The first will be the return of Christ to the air for His Church. He is going to raise believers that have died and change living believers bodies to be fashioned like to His body of glory (Phil.3). His shout will raise the dead as it did when He raised Lazarus, the trumpet sound will gather and marshal this great band of saints to the air, and the voice of the archangel will authoritatively repel all opposing demonic powers in the air where Satan is their prince. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1Thes.4:16) I sometimes startle folk when I tell them that my wife in hr seventies is expecting! Actually, we both are expecting the coming of the Lord! It is imminent.

At least seven years will run before the second event takes place. Daniel tells us about these seven years in ch.9, in the form of a ‘week’, not a week of days but a week of years and it will be the last one of seventy prophesied by Daniel. Read Sir Robert Anderson’s chronology on this at www.whatsaiththescripture.com/Voice/The.Coming.Prince.4.html. We have a great heritage in the scriptures and men that are competent to teach us the meaning of scriptures if we will but read them.The Lord Jesus Christ taught His second coming to earth in Matthew ch’s 24 and 25 and He referred to Daniel’s prophecy (24:15) and other happenings prior to His return. He likened these days with the days of Noah, how the few expected the flood to come and the majority did not and they perished. When He comes He said, “Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

During those seven years the Church will be in Heaven while the Great Tribulation runs on earth (Rev.ch’s 6 to 19). Those happenings will not be the effect of global warming, which will be the devil’s lie, but the judgement of God upon the world.